Recipe Exchange

January 08, 2004

Ann of Simsbury requested a recipe for Lentil Soup like the one for sale at Wild Oats Market in West Hartford. An anonymous reader sent in this recipe. She writes, ``Here is a lentil soup recipe that my family loves. It's so easy, and very hearty. We like it even better the second day!''

LENTIL BARLEY SOUP

* 1/4 cup margarine

* 3/4 cup chopped onion

FOR THE RECORD - Correction published January 13, 2004.There were errors in two recipes that appeared Jan. 8 on Page G3 in the Recipe Exchange. In the Crustless Crab Quiche, the oven temperature, which was omitted, should be 350 degrees. In the Crab Casserole recipe, it was not clear that the cream of celery soup should be stirred together with the eggs and milk.

Mille Rossi of Rocky Hill asked for recipes that use canned crab meat -- ``anything but crab dip.'' Colleen Sokolowski of Cromwell sent in this recipe. She is not sure of the origin of this recipe.

CRUSTLESS CRAB QUICHE

* 2 teaspoons olive oil

* 1 small onion, chopped

* 1 red bell pepper, chopped

* 3/4 pound sliced mushrooms

* 2 large eggs

* 2 large egg whites

* 1-1/2 cups cottage cheese

* 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

* 1/4 cup flour

* 1/4 cup grated parmesan

* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

* 1/2 pound cooked lump crab meat

* 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

* 1/4 cup chopped scallions

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onions and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat on high; add mushrooms and cook until softened. Add to onions and peppers.

In a food processor or blender, blend eggs and egg whites, cottage cheese, yogurt, flour, parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper until smooth. Add to bowl with vegetables. With a rubber spatula, fold in crab meat, cheddar and scallions.

Coat a 10-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Pour mixture into pie pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Stasia Dymarczyk of the Yalesville section of Wallingford found this next crab meat recipe in Taste of Home magazine.

Broil patties or cook in a skillet in oil for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with lemon, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Lotte Hershfield of West Hartford sent in this crab casserole recipe from her personal files:

CRAB CASSEROLE

* 8 slices bread, buttered and cubed

* 1/2 pound shredded sharp cheese

* 2 cups drained crab meat

* 3 eggs, well beaten

* 1-1/2 cups milk

* 1 can cream of celery soup

* 1/2 teaspoon salt, if desired

Alternate layers of bread cubes, cheese and crab meat in a buttered casserole. Stir milk into well-beaten eggs, and blend thoroughly. Season to taste. Pour mixture over the contents in casserole, and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Serves 4 generously.

(Thanks also to: Arlene DeChesser, Farmington.)

Rae Blazawski of South Windsor requested a recipe for homemade chicken soup. Bette-Jane Hardersen of Bloomfield sent in the following recipe. She included the recipe for stock. As she explains, this recipe can be made with chicken or turkey. She writes, ``After Thanksgiving, I put all the bones from the turkey in a stock pot and proceed.''

CHICKEN STOCK

* Bones from three chickens

* Water

* 1 onion, stuck with 3 cloves

* Celery tops or 1 stalk celery

* 1 carrot, split

Put chicken bones in a pot, and cover with water. (If you buy whole chickens and bone them yourself, you wind up with the ends of the wings, rib cage and back.) Add onion, celery and carrot.

Bring to a boil, and simmer until things fall apart. Pour through a colander, and return stock to pot to cook down a bit. When the bones are cool, pick all meat from the bones. Discard bones and vegetables. Put meat aside to add to the soup. Cool broth completely so you can skim any fat.